Blogging about service

A tradition of community service, dedication, and creativity remains as vibrant as ever among our 2013-2014 class of KNOM volunteers: Dayneé, Anna Rose, Tara, Emily, and Zach.

There’s no better place to see evidence of this than their blog posts on this website. Here are two examples.

Dayneé sings the praises of Nome and its active community in her May 13th post Color Me Nome. KNOM’s hometown is “not an easy place to live in,” especially in springtime. She explains further:

The weather is volatile and harsh. Summers are short, winters are long. Everything you own, from cars and appliances to the clothes on your back, wears out faster than it would in other places. Travel costs an arm and a leg. Everything, in general, is prohibitively more expensive the further you get from a major city.

And yet despite these challenges – and, in many ways, because of them – Dayneé finds a determination to thrive and a persistent “grit” are at the core of Nome’s spirit. Even on the greyest, chilly days of our sub-Arctic springtime, Dayneé says that local events offer a deliberate way of keeping spirits high and communities strong. An example is Nome’s Walk for Life, an event which, as she describes, “brings awareness and support for suicide prevention, domestic violence, and community wellness.” Dayneé is pictured holding the banner, above, at far left.

Golovin, Alaska.

A May 2nd post from Emily (Not Just Talk) tells the story of what happened when she was waylaid in the village of Golovin (GULL-uh-vin, pictured above) because of inclement weather. Emily happened to meet the relatives – the sister, grandnieces, and grandnephews – of a person Emily knows in Nome. The family members in Nome and Golovin hadn’t seen each other in a long time, and even just a “hello,” relayed through a third person (Emily), meant so much.

As Emily reflects in her post, “Sometimes service is a small thing, but there is an auntie in Nome who sleeps a little bit better now that she knows her sister’s grandchildren are well.”

We encourage you to click through the links above to read these posts in full – and as always, thank you for supporting the service of our dedicated (and well-written!) volunteers.